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2 Kings 25

25
Jerusalem is destroyed and the people are taken to Babylonia
Jerusalem is captured and destroyed
(2 Chronicles 36.17-21; Jeremiah 52.3-30)
1In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month,#25.1 tenth month: Tebeth, the tenth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-December to mid-January. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.#Jr 21.1-10; 34.1-5; Ez 24.2.
2-3After a year and a half, all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth#25.2,3 fourth: This word is not in the Hebrew text here, but see the parallel in Jeremiah 52.5,6. month, 4the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall.#25.4 wall: Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed towards the desert,#Ez 33.21. 5but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction.
6Zedekiah was taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. 7Zedekiah's sons were killed right in front of him. His eyes were then put out, and he was put in chains and dragged off to Babylon.#Ez 12.13.
8About a month later,#25.8 About a month later: Hebrew “On the seventh day of the fifth month”. in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king, Nebuzaradan, who was his official in charge of the guards, arrived in Jerusalem. 9Nebuzaradan burnt down the LORD's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses.#1 K 9.8. 10Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. 11He led away as prisoners the people left in the city, including those who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. 12Only some of the poorest people were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields.
13The Babylonian soldiers took the two bronze columns that stood in front of the temple, the ten moveable bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl called the Sea. They broke them into pieces so they could take the bronze to Babylonia.#1 K 7.15-26; 2 Ch 3.15-17; 1 K 7.23-26; 2 Ch 4.2-5. 14They carried off the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, snuffers, and also the dishes for incense,#1 K 7.45; 2 Ch 4.16. 15as well as the fire pans and the sprinkling bowls. Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to take everything made of gold or silver.
16The pile of bronze from the columns, the stands, and the large bowl that Solomon had made for the temple was too large to be weighed. 17Each column had been eight metres tall with a bronze cap over one metre high. These caps were decorated with bronze designs—some of them like chains and others like pomegranates.#25.17 pomegranates: A bright red fruit that looks like an apple.
18Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. 19Then he arrested one of the army commanders, the king's five personal advisers, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found sixty more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. 20Nebuzaradan led them all to Riblah 21near Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
The people of Judah no longer lived in their own country.
Gedaliah is made ruler and King Jehoiachin is released from prison
Gedaliah is made ruler of the people left in Judah
(Jeremiah 40.7-9; 41.1-3)
22King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam#25.22 Ahikam: Hebrew “Ahikam son of Shaphan”. to rule the few people still living in Judah.#Jr 40.7-9. 23When the army officers and troops heard that Gedaliah was their ruler, the officers met with him at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah from Maacah.
24Gedaliah said to them, “Everything will be fine, I promise. We don't need to be afraid of the Babylonian rulers, if we live here peacefully and do what Nebuchadnezzar says.”
25Ishmael#25.25 Ishmael: Hebrew “Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama”. was from the royal family. And about two months after Gedaliah began his rule,#25.25 about two months…his rule: Hebrew “in the seventh month”. Ishmael and ten other men went to Mizpah. They killed Gedaliah and his officials, including those from Judah and those from Babylonia.#Jr 41.1-3. 26After that, the army officers and all the people in Mizpah, whether important or not, were afraid of what the Babylonians might do. So they left Judah and went to Egypt.#Jr 43.5-7.
Jehoiachin is set free
(Jeremiah 52.31-34)
27Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for thirty-seven years. Then Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia,#25.27 Evil-Merodach…Babylonia: The son of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylonia from 562 to 560 BC. and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month,#25.27 twelfth month: Adar, the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-February to mid-March. he let Jehoiachin out of prison. 28Evil-Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honoured him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. 29Jehoiachin was even allowed to wear his own clothes, and he ate at the king's table every day. 30As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.

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2 Kings 25: CEVUK

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